Cinderella
by eloquentgraffitti
Summary: Jackson asks April for a dance at the Harper Avery Foundation Gala, wanting her to be his, just for a night.
1. Chapter 1

**So this fic was inspired by the way Jackson was looking at April in the promo pic for 9*21. For the purposes of this fan fic, I have decided that Jackson comforting April over the loss of her patient and the scene in the promo pic happened on two consecutive days, the promo pic scene being where Jackson comes to check on April to see whether she is ok, the day after she cried on his shoulder. I write, but have never written fanfic before, so this is my first. I ask that you please be gentle in your reviews, and I like constructive criticism. **

**Give it a shot, it's pretty short, but if you're a Japril lover, I guarantee you'll fall for it…at least a little bit ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters. **

April stared up at him, her eyes wide wet pools of hazel brimming with emotion. Those sea green peepers of his, meanwhile, gazed right back at her, reflecting a long dormant fire that was threatening to erupt. She didn't want to feel this way, she didn't want him to have this kind of pull on her, but he did, always have. He was holding her entirely too close, the heat from his body radiating waves that sucked her in like a moth to a flame. She had no idea how he had managed to coax her into accompanying him to the Harper Avery Foundation Gala, and yet, here she was.

If she thought about it, April could separate those two never ending days into two halves. One half a black and white sequence of rigid pictures; Matt being hurt, Matt telling her he loved her, her confessing to Matt about her slight indiscretion, Matt dismissing her with a wave of his hand.

The other half was a furious red gold blur of fire; Pain at the loss of her patient and confusion over her inability to fathom why she couldn't have her happy ending, Jackson wrapping her in his arms and letting her dissolve against him, crying for her patient and for herself, Jackson checking up on her after work the following day, telling her something about a….gala…and that's where things started to get fuzzy. She could remember a cat like gaze and a voice like honey cascading over her, and the next thing she knew, she was in his arms on a ball room floor.

Jackson could feel his heart pounding in his chest. She had this effect on him whenever she was near him lately. He took whatever opportunity he could get to let his gaze roam over her these days, taking her in, committing that delicate face of hers to memory as if she'll disappear in a puff of smoke at any moment. Her gown was simple and backless, the deep blue color bringing out her red curls and luminous skin. He was utterly captivated by her, and she had no idea. Sensing how tense she was, he soothingly smoothed his hand over the soft skin of her back, willing her to relax.

He had seen some dude in an expensive tux flash his pearly whites at her and ask her for a dance and for some inexplicable reason, he had felt the unbearable urge to interrupt them and steal her for himself. What he hadn't expected was for her to give him an exasperated look and stalk away, the silky blue material of her dress swirling behind her and those gorgeous red curls tumbling down her back. He had scratched the back of his head, puzzled at her reaction and had shot the smirking asshole whose arms he had just stolen April from a scowl.

It had been hard to win her over. In retrospect, he supposed rudely interrupting her dance with a smooth talking stranger wasn't the smartest thing to do if he wanted her on his good side. But after giving him a full verbal beating about how she did not appreciate him barging in and interrupting her dance and how embarrassing it was, she had given in and let him lead her onto the dance floor. In his defense though, as far as he knew, she was still dating Matthew and he had actually done her a favor by preventing her from doing something she might regret later.

He realized with a pang that she might actually regret accompanying _him_ to the gala later. He had no idea what had made him ask her, when he knew full well that she had been referring to Matthew when she had told him all about how amazing it was that Elise, her patient, had met her husband at a bowling alley long after having lost touch with him. It meant that she thought Matthew and her were meant to be, and that he had no place in her life.

But then she had broken down in his arms and he had had a chance to let her nestle her head in the crook of his neck, to hold her close, to feel her warmth, and it had somehow undone him. He just wanted her to himself, just for one night, and he had seen an opportunity and had taken it. It might have been selfish of him, he knew that she was with someone else, and technically he was supposed to be…with…sleeping with…whatever…with Stephanie, but he didn't care. Just for tonight, she was all his.

He sighed when he felt her relax against him, resting her cheek against his shoulder and slackening her body completely so he could fold her into his arms, brushing the top of her head softly with his lips. Did she have any idea the kind of power she had over him, he wondered. He was incapable of letting her go, and yet he had been the one to walk away. It was high time he realized trying to forget her was futile.

He opened his eyes, feeling somebody else's gaze on him, and found himself staring directly at his mother. She gave him a knowing smile; turning back to the distinguished gent she was dancing with - none other than former chief Richard Webber. He scowled. The last thing he needed was his mother being nosy. He felt April stir and realized that the slow song was coming to an end. He wasn't ready for it to be over yet, he thought, feeling an irrational surge of panic as he gently pressed April closer to him.

April felt his warm hand apply pressure against her bare back and trembled in spite of herself. She has got to get away, she thought. If she stayed nestled against him for a moment longer, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from kissing him. So she raised her head when the song ended….and was instantly trapped in the blue-green orbs of his eyes. She watched his pupils dilate and swallowed, her eyes falling to his parted lips and his name tumbling out in a breathless whisper from her own.

He was lost. Those doe eyes of hers were impossibly huge, and her lips were murmuring something he couldn't hear through the blood pumping through his ears. And then he was leaning forward and capturing her lips in the most gentlest of kisses, making sure to give her just enough time to pull back.

She moaned softly as his tongue slid tantalizingly against her own, tasting her, and she suckled him in, unable to stop herself, feeling the loss of contact far too soon as he pulled back. She gently placed her hands on his cheeks, her eyes wet and wide, and softly brushed her lips against his one more time before gathering up all her will power to walk away from him. Her heart was bleeding, but she had to, because they shouldn't… they can't. These were stolen moments, and while precious, they never lasted.

Jackson opened his eyes, suddenly feeling cold. His arms felt empty and his heart felt bloodied and bruised. Anyone looking at the handsome young man with the piercing eyes standing on his own on the dance floor would have noticed that his gaze never wavered from the striking red head in a blue dress who was swiftly walking away from him.

Jackson didn't know how long he stood there, watching the red of her curls wink at him through the passing crowds until her slender silhouette disappeared completely. He took a deep breath and listened to a clock somewhere strike midnight. "Cinderella" he whispered to himself. His night had come to an end, and once again, she was no longer his.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I know I said this would be a one shot, but I couldn't resist wrapping things up. This took longer than I intended, mainly because I had a hard time articulating April's internal struggle (and I still don't think I got it quite right) and also because I usually write in my notebook and transfer it to my computer and although I had this written, typing it up took awhile (I was lazy haha).**

**Also, I am not religious, but I tried as hard as I can to stay true to that side of April and hope I did it justice. This continues right after April walked away from the ballroom, leaving Jackson alone...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's or any of the characters.**

April did not stop until she reached one of the many balconies that led out of the ballroom floor, which overlooked a small lake shrouded in a veil of mist. Fingers gripping the cool railing, she shivered as the chilly night air wove itself around her like an icy shawl. Feeling a warm hand on her shoulder, she whipped around, failing to hide her emotions from spilling over in tears, burning her cheeks. "Oh honey…" Catherine Avery's voice was full of compassion as she stepped closer to April, peering into her eyes as if searching their depths for undiscovered secrets.

"You love him." It wasn't a question. There wasn't a single note of uncertainty in it; it was a simple truth that had once been wrapped in denial, revealed in a gentle voice that belied the kind of strength April wished she had. Catherine Avery, in one fell swoop, had managed to wrench out of April's heart a cherished secret she hadn't been aware of hiding; and now she was slowly crumbling inside."Honey, look at me." Catherine said in an unyielding tone, refusing to let April take that truth back and shove it into the depths of her miserable soul so that it would never see the light of day again.

Looking thoughtful, Catherine hearkened back to earlier in the evening, when she had watched closely as a clearly troubled April Kepner walked away from the ball room. She had never seen her son look so forlorn. Seeing Richard's lips moving and realizing that he was saying something, she had apologized, asking him to repeat what he said. The man had had the gall to actually ask her if she thought of herself as their Fairy God Mother, turning pumpkins into stage coaches and ragged little mice into nimble horses. She had given him one of her trade mark glares and told him in no uncertain terms that while she may not be a "Fairy God Mother", she certainly had her powers and that she'll be using them for good. And if reconciling her son with the great love of his life wasn't "good" she didn't know what was. That little exchange with one Richard Webber had led her to this precise moment; standing in front of a distraught April Kepner, seeing her delicate face marred by heart ache.

April stared blindly at Catherine Avery through a curtain of tears, mind running a mile a minute. "No. _No. _I'm with Matthew, I have feelings for him…" she said, her voice wavering, trying to convince herself as much as the woman standing in front of her, who was now giving her a disbelieving look. "He –He loves me, and he wants the same things I do, believes in the same things as I do –"

"And Jackson doesn't." Catherine said, matter - of- factly, while April shook her head, miserable. "Darling, he may not believe what you believe in, but don't you think what you're really afraid of, is him challenging what you believe in? The fear that there is part of you that has already started to change, to be more comfortable with values that may not align with what you believed in growing up?" April stood still, her throat frozen, unable to say anything. Catherine took April's slender hands in her own, giving them a comforting squeeze. "It doesn't make you a bad person April Kepner. It never will. You have to learn to love _yourself_ honey, for everything you are, and everything you may no longer be." And with that, Catherine Avery was gone, a regal figure walking away to once again mingle with her guests, an inexplicable aura about her that set her apart from everyone else. Only a faint scent of expensive perfume hung in the air to remind April of their impromptu midnight rendezvous.

April turned back to look into the night, glimpsing the faintest shadow of a full moon through the thick mist, and let her mind wander. Whenever she was with Jackson, she knew how easily she let herself get lost in him, how effortlessly he drew her in, her want and need for him overpowering her with an intensity that almost frightened her. Except it didn't; It _didn't _frighten her. Her longing for him was intoxicating, so much so that she didn't _feel_ any shame whenever she was with him, and maybe, just maybe, that's what made her feel guilty. He was also the one person who threatened to let her embrace who she is now wholly and completely, and that scared her more than anything else. Being with Matthew meant she didn't have to embrace change, it meant that she could stay in peaceful denial of who she has come to be, as opposed to who she _had_ been because he never put to the test what she had grown up believing. Simply put, being with Matthew meant that she could forever stay in never-never land, without ever having to grow up.

She kept gazing up at the night sky, noticing the fog lifting, the moon coming into full view from behind a puffy cloud, and sighed, suddenly feeling as if a dead weight had been lifted off of her. For the longest time, she had been trying to hold herself up to a higher standard than everyone else around her, and from the minute she had somehow missed a step, she hadn't been able to forgive herself. She now knew that it wasn't Jesus' forgiveness she was looking for; it was her own. She already had Jesus' love and His blessing to be herself, to accept herself for who she was because she truly did not believe that He would want her to live a life filled with resentment. And with that thought, April's heart soared, knowing that at last, she had freed herself from the shackles that had bound her for so long.

* * *

Catherine Avery, meanwhile had sought out her son, taking him by the hand and leading him once again to the dance floor which he had abandoned after a certain red head had managed to give him the slip. In the midst of talking to him about the foundation's most recent endeavors and enquiring about his duties as head of the board at Grey- Sloan Memorial, she had leaned closer to his ear and asked him whether he loved her. There had only been one answer to that question, and he had replied truthfully, his heart squeezing as coincidentally, her graceful figure reappeared from afar, seeking his face and holding his gaze. As if sensing her son's change in demeanor, Catherine Avery had looked up, immediately knowing from the look in his eyes who had managed to capture her son's complete and utter undivided attention. There was only one woman he reserved that particular gaze for, and that was April Kepner. Catherine stepped away, taking the time to whisper four final words in her son's ear. "_Don't let her go." _And he wasn't going to. Not now, not _ever_.

* * *

"I wasn't done dancing with you before" his voice slid over her like red velvet and she shivered involuntarily. "No, you weren't." she said simply, gliding into his arms knowing now that it's where she belonged. They began swaying to the soft music, eyes locked on each other. Jackson couldn't stop looking at her. She seemed different; there was a quiet confidence to her that hadn't been there before, an unfamiliar boldness that almost made him falter, a blaze raging for miles in her eyes, setting his soul on fire. God, he had forgotten how incredibly sexy she could be. "So, I have to tell you something." Her voice was soft as she took his face in between her palms, her thumbs gently stroking his cheeks.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say, and started talking, albeit haltingly. "When –when you broke up with me…..when you walked away…you broke my heart…" her words ended in a tear filled whisper. The hurt in her doe eyes was milking every drop of blood from his heart and he couldn't bear it. Jackson closed his eyes tight, wishing he could erase the flash of pain he had seen streak through hers. He had seen it once before, when he had confessed to her about sleeping with Stephanie, and it hadn't stopped haunting him since. "April…" he said hoarsely. He felt the slightest brush of lips against his own and opened his eyes, sure that he was dreaming. April was looking up at him earnestly, imploring him to just listen. "And I was afraid…" her voice trailed off and seeing a glimpse of hesitancy on her face, he panicked, urgently asking "Of what?"

He wanted her to go on, _needed_ her to go on. He hardly dared to believe that this moment, where April had seemingly come to him of her own volition, ready to bare her heart for him was really happening. She took another deep breath, starting to speak again. "Of…of change. You made me want things that I have never wanted that badly before…and…and I did things with you that went against what I was taught to believe, but I didn't feel ashamed of them, or guilty of them, but _that…. _the fact that I _didn't _feel any shame kept eating away at me…" her voice was barely audible now, and she looked around, noticing that Jackson had slowly walked them backwards, away from the dance floor and into a secluded corner with her back against a wall. He started to speak but she placed her fingers on his lips, silently telling him to let her finish first. "But..but Jackson, I know now that…that Jesus wouldn't hate me for breaking my promise and losing my virginity to someone as kind and –and as gentle as you…" she said softly, eyes downcast, hooded by those long lashes, too shy to look at him. "I don't feel guilty anymore." She whispered. He felt a rush of love overcome him and gently kissed her forehead, drawing her closer so that her tiny frame was enveloped in his arms, and whispered something in her ear.

"I love you."

April closed her eyes, tears threatening to spill. A sob escaped her and Jackson drew back, his eyes so tender it almost broke her. "Hey…hey…" He caught the lone tear drop that managed to escape and roll down her cheek in his thumb and softly kissed it, sucking it away. She took a shuddering breath, arms wrapping around his neck and letting her forehead rest against his as the words "I love you too." tumbled from her lips. And then he was kissing her, softly at first, and then deepening, his tongue lapping at her lips and gently slipping in to drink her in.

They broke off, panting, both yearning for the other, knowing that they had to wait till they were truly alone. He pressed her closer, his hand warm at the small of her back, and she gently massaged his scalp, eliciting a moan from him. "I want to wait." He gasped, looking like he might regret what he said any minute. April's eyes clouded over in confusion and he closed his own, tightly squeezing them shut as he said in a pained voice "Let's wait, let's wait till we're married. That's what you wanted before, and that's what we should have done –

April's heart swelled. She didn't know how she could fall in love with him even more but she thought she just did. "We don't have to…" she said shaking her head, willing him to open his eyes so that he could see that she was sincere. "Yeah we do" he said, his lips curving upwards and his eyes opening to fully reveal those green depths that she now knew she would be drowning in for the rest of her life. "Yeah we do…"

* * *

And so time went by and until a certain day dawned…

The bride looked beautiful, the groom looked handsome, and as they sealed their "I-do's" with a tender kiss, they both knew that they would forever live…

Happily ever after! ;)

**(Sooo sorry about the cheesy ending but the story's called Cinderella, and I just had to!)**

**BTW, I will leave it up to everyone else's imagination as to how they each dealt with ending things with Matt and Stephanie. I just felt that the other two are only worth mentioning if it pertains to Jackson and April's growth (and I did mention Matt as regards to how April compared her relationship with him vs. Jackson so there's that; But Stephanie is just background scenery in Jackson's life lol). I also felt that this story should solely be about the two who were **_**always**_** meant to be **** Hope everyone liked it!**


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